Wednesday, January 30, 2008

To celebrate the 50th Birthday of Lego here are some facts I got from the Lego site:

The LEGO history began in 1932 in Denmark, when Ole Kirk Christansen founded a small factory for wooden toys.

Christansen came up with the name: LEGO – a fusion of the Danish words “LEg” and “GOdt” (“play well”).

15 years later Christiansen discovered plastic as the ideal material for toy production, and bought the first injection moulding machine in Denmark.

In 1949 he developed the LEGO brick prototype and in 1958 the Lego was sold!

Today’s LEGO bricks still fit bricks from 1958.

Production of LEGO bricks with Acrylonitrile Butadine Styrene (ABS) began in 1963. This matte finish plastic is extremely hard, has a scratch and bite-resistant surface, and is ideal for keeping the bricks connected. The ABS compound is not delivered in a liquid form, but rather as granules, which are heated to 232° C until they melt. Injection moulding machines weighing up to 150 tons then press the hot and “gooey” plastic mass into LEGO brick shapes. The shapes dry and harden and, voilà – you have the famous LEGO brick!There are 2,400 different LEGO brick shapes

LEGO bricks in boxes that are not sold are melted again and turned into new bricks, in accordance with waste prevention and environmental responsibility.

The LEGO Group with its headquarters in Billund, Denmark, is the fifth largest toy manufacturer in the world in terms of sales.

Thank you Lego for 50 years of fun! I know Chase for one is very thankful to Mr Christiansen for his brilliant idea!